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Key elements of Colombia's Communist Party have also split with Castro, and their lack of support for Castroite guerrillas operating in the Colombian Andes has helped narrow their operation from five areas in 1961 down to two. Castro's only notable success has come in Chile, where far-leftists have won control of President Eduardo Frei's Christian Democratic Party and installed Castro-worshiping Extremist Salvador Allende as president of the Senate. Last month Frei's government even permitted Castro's solidarity organization to open a branch in Santiago, the first in Latin America outside Cuba.
Mystery Guest. Castro is in no danger of losing his Russian ally right now despite disagreements, but he made it clear on the eve of the conference that the Russians have tried to rein him in.
On the 14th anniversary of his unsuccessful attack on Moncada barracks in Santiago de Cuba, which opened his revolution, Castro told his audience that Cubans must count less on Russian protection: "In the face of an invasion here, we must get used to the idea that we are going to fight alone." To whip delegates into the proper anti-U.S. mood, Castro paraded Black-Power's Carmichael before the crowd as "one of the most distinguished leaders for civil rights in the United States." The U.S., Carmichael obliged, "is going to fall. I only hope I live to see the day."
To further enliven this week's proceedings Castro's government promised a speech by an unnamed "leader of the revolution." Speculation immediately spread that the speaker just might be Che Guevara, Castro's onetime No. 2 man, who mysteriously dropped from sight 27 months ago. According to Castro, Che has been organizing guerrilla wars in Latin America. If that is true —many believe that Che is dead—Che would make quite a delegate to Castro's conference, perhaps eclipsing El Maximo himself.